The Mountain Astrologer

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The U.S. Sibly horoscope has natal Saturn at 14º48’ Libra in the 10th house. Transiting Saturn is now at 14º24’ Libra; the U.S. is just days away (i.e., December 3) from the first exact passage of its Saturn return (exact again in March and August 2011).

On Sunday, WikiLeaks again offered classified documents for public viewing, this time with many details embarrassing to U.S. diplomats. (Saturn, exalted by sign in the 10th, suggests highly visible, well-regarded professionals, and Libra rules diplomats.)

According to the Guardian: “The United States was catapulted into a worldwide diplomatic crisis today, with the leaking to the Guardian and other international media of more than 250,000 classified cables from its embassies, many sent as recently as February this year.” (1)

Transiting Mars is also now opposite the U.S. natal Mars (21º23’ Gemini), which squares natal Neptune (22º25’ Virgo) as the documents have been given to the news outlets.

The New York Times headline this morning, “Leaked Cables Uncloak U.S. Diplomacy” seems to include keywords for these planets.

Neptune, which rules the media and, along with idealism and naiveté, can also suggest obscuration and distortion, is in the 9th house of foreign relations and publishing. The natal Mars square Neptune has been triggered when other compromising (or scandalous) details came into public view. (In the spring of 2004 when transiting Pluto was at 22º Sagittarius – conjunct Neptune and square Mars – the infamous and damaging photos of torture by U.S. military personnel at Abu Ghraib prison began to be widely published. There are still human rights investigations going on as a result of those published photos, as well as incalculable damage to the U.S. reputation in the Arab world.)

Trouble-making Mars also showed up for President Obama who got elbowed in a basketball game and needed 12 stitches on his lip on November 26, the day before transiting Mars was exactly square his natal Mars at 22º36’ Virgo.

Of course, any aspect that impacts the Sibly Mars-Neptune square also will impact the President’s natal Mars, as they are square to one another, i.e., 21º Virgo/21º Gemini. (2)

The combination of transiting Neptune conjunct the U.S. Moon, which has been in effect all of 2010, and the Saturn return has combined to leave a sense of confusion and malaise in the air. The Sibly chart has Libra on the Midheaven, ruled by Venus at 3º06’ Cancer. The transiting South Node at 3º Cancer adds another temporary sense of woe, or diminishment of, the reputation of the U.S. Perhaps this also can be interpreted to mean that an overall feeling of happiness and well being in the country at large is connected to a careful observation of our assumptions about what really has value in our personal lives. (3)

In mid-January 2011, transiting Neptune makes its last exact pass to the President’s South Node and the U.S. Moon. Maybe then we’ll be feeling more confident in facing the demands of the time, sure to be obvious as Saturn continues to hold the U.S. to a high degree of accountability on the world stage.

Thanks, Mary. Very interesting point about the Saturn return. I see the U.S. Saturn in Libra as reflecting the collective American fear (Saturn) that we will not get enough of the finer and beautiful things in life (Libra). The common American refrain, “keeping up with the Joneses,” reflects this fear. Recently and partly because of the economic crisis and necessity, Americans have changed what they desire and their spending habits. Web sites have been created and news stories have appeared extolling the virtues of living with less and finding happiness in doing so. NBC Nightly news had a story each day the week of Nov 8 entitled “Back to Basics.”

Great piece as always Mary,
In my Dec 09/Jan 10 TMA article on America’s 8th Saturn Return, I talked about this being a time in which many of our “Karmic Chickens” will come home to roost. Interesting that these leaks erupted with our Saturn’s depositor, Venus, at the critical degree of 29 Libra.
And speaking of chickens, I pray that this lame duck session goes out like a lion, with our elected officials doing right by their constituents.

Mary, your piece sparked a couple of ideas. Reviewing the Sibly Saturn Return periods for national themes of responsibility, discipline, and pride, financial or otherwise, might be a good study (with Saturn square Sun; and Saturn ruling the 2nd House, a money house).

Using the Sibly chart for the US reveals a national connection and vulnerability to Julian Assange, the Australian Wikileaks editor. One example: His prominent Mars in Aquarius (a bucket handle in his chart) is at the cusp of the US 3rd House of communication; presenting the picture of a social activist or anarchist whose agenda is contrary to ours (square Sibly Mars) and a security risk (conjunct Sibly Moon).